Retired Military Brass Press Obama on Guantanamo Closure

A group of retired admirals and generals who have advocated the closure of the Guantanamo prison met with National Security Council officials Tuesday to discuss the administration’s plans to shut the facility.

The group included many of the retired officers who stood behind President Barack Obama on January 9, 2009, when he signed the executive order to close Guantanamo. The group met with Avril Haines, the legal adviser to the National Security Council, and other members of the White House staff.

Retired Rear Adm. John Hutson, a former top Navy lawyer and a member of the Human Rights First board of directors, said the retired officers urged the officials to be more aggressive with efforts to close the prison than they were in the first term.